Freedom At Last
by monkeygirl77
Summary: They had been captured and held for months with no thought for escape. Claw man, Logan, had let them out. Pietro is given his freedom back, and he is ready to take it. Now the young mutants are scared and want get out and go home. Charles Xavier is willing to give it to them. He (and Erik) are just happy that Pietro is back, and in one piece. Post-Xmen Origins: Wolverine.


**As promised, here is my 2nd fic. **

**This is based after X-Men Origins: Wolverine. **

**Based off of how at the end, when the younger mutants get out and meet up with Charles, the look on Pietro's face kind of looks like a mixture of recognition, relief, and pain. Kind of like he's thinking 'thank you thank you, you came, your here, I'm free, I can go home' or at least that's what it looked like it was saying to me.**

**For the sake of cheese, The Charles and Erik in my X-Men Fics are always going to be the dofp versions, as in age wise, unless I say so. As well as Pietro/Peter. **

**Now, enough of boring notes, and on with the story!**

* * *

The cuffs around his wrists were starting, or had been, rubbing the skin raw. He could feel the blood dripping down his arms every time he moved. He swore that when he got out, because there was no questions there, that the first thing he was going to do was run. Run and Run and Run until he feet bled and his legs gave out.

Until he imagined that every step was enough to grind Strykers very being into the ground.

He had begin to lose hope for escape, pain day in and day out, until the man with the claws came. When him and that women had opened the gate and ran in, he forgot all pain and all agony. The adrenaline in his body, what was left of it, took over and he began running again. Trying to run anyway, seeing as he was stuck in place by the plastic cords keeping him mid air and the cuffs keeping his arms up right that he had discovered long ago that he was unable to vibrate through.

He growled as shots of pain went through his arms and up his legs. Pietro wanted out and he wanted to go home, much like his inmates wanted as well.

For the first time in his life, he wanted nothing more then his father to come and kill all these people as long as he got him out, and he had no doubts that should he ask Erik to do so, his dad would be more then happy to. Charles was a calm man, not a killer (or much of a fighter) but Pietro was willing to bet that he would make a special exception for these people keeping them tied and caged up here.

He was stuck in a dark place, and for the first time in his life, he was willing to admit he wanted his daddy.

* * *

Pietro had been missing for months.

No word had gotten to Charles nor Erik a week after his disappearance, and that is when they had begun to panic. It was like Pietro to come and go but he always made a point to check in with either of them even if to simply rub it in their faces that he was in Paris, or some other foreign place with 'awesometastic food'.

The news started reporting the disappearances of other children as well.

Emma Frost.

Scott Summers.

And many many others.

Charles had tried using cerebro to find Pietro, and the other missing children, but to no avail. Where ever they were being kept it was well hidden even from the eye of a man of Charles power. They had begun to lose hope, someone sadly and reluctantly, that they would ever see the speedster again when there was a blip.

A small blip in cerebro.

It wasn't Pietro, but a man, and a woman, and slowly but surely Charles found the blips that were the missing children.

But there was one that had him up and running, shouting for Hank to get the jet prepped and set up the flight plans, he had found Pietro and he would be damned if he let the boy disappear once more.

* * *

The clawed man, Logan, slashed through all the cages gates. At first the young mutants didn't know what to make of it. Another trick possibly? A test? But after a moment and the black haired woman pulling a blonde girl from one of the cages and into a quick but warm embrace, the others were quick to follow.

Basking in their newly acquired freedom.

All but Pietro, he was stuck and couldn't get down. He was about to scream, beg, for help when others swarmed in his cage before he had the chance to do so. They began pulling at the straps and cuffs. He fell to the floor, legs almost buckling at the amount of weight (albeit not much at this point) but he was able to catch himself.

He nodded a thanks to those who had helped them and jogged out in sync with them. They were free, it was over. When the group had come to a stop, panic was a largely felt emotion at the moment, and not just from Pietro. Logan told them to run the other way, find another way out. None of them had the strength to argue with the older mutant and turned tail and ran the other way.

The light at the end of the tunnel was a sight for sore eyes, meant more literally then any would like to admit, as many of them squinted in the sudden brightness. Pietro came up beside Scott and couldn't stop the look of utter relief that swept across his face. There, at the far end of the field, was the jet. Charles Xavier's jet, that Pietro would recognize any where. The doors slowly opened and he stepped out.

Charles looked different then the last time he had seen him, his hair was no longer scraggly and unkept, now it was cut shorter and curled behind his ears. He still had some facial hair, but not as messy. He could tell by the gaze the man was sharing with Scott that they were talking mind to mind. Pietro was light on his feet, the adrenaline starting to ware off and he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to keep up.

But then Charles spoke the very words he had been longing to here since forever it felt.

"Your safe now"

Pietro held back, partially by his exhaustion and then by the longing to relish in the freedom that was offered. He walked behind the crowd as they jogged into the jet and took shelter away in a corner, huddling together as if the world was the bad guy no matter where you went. He walked up the catwalk slowly inadvertently coming face to face with Charles.

The elders eyes widened in shock at first, as if not really believing that it was really him. Pietro didn't say a word as the older mutants head tilted towards the cockpit of the plane, no doubt where Hank was sitting behind the flight controls. The boy nodded slowly and limped forward, not seeing the look of concern that crossed Charles face as he walked past.

Letting the cockpit door close behind him with a soft but audible click, the events of the dark months past caught up to him along with the underlying feeling of safety he was beginning to come to terms with in a welcome change. Hank turned around undoubtedly ready to tell who ever it was that had come in (gently of course) to go back out with the others, but stopped short when his eyes landed on the small pale form of Pietro.

"Pietro..."

For a first time, Hank was at a loss for words. All he could do was stare at the boy in front of him. Grim covered red jump suit and everything. Sunken eyes. Dark red sleeves that covered his arms no doubt being that shade due to blood. All in all Hank wasn't sure what to say. Pietro stared at him, emotions mixing in his eyes, but never spilling.

Hank was saved from trying to spit something out when the door to the cockpit slid open, warm hands gently pressed themselves over Pietro's shaking shoulders, and gently told the young pilot to take them home. Charles led Pietro further into the rather large (but snug) cockpit and towards the seat next to Hank. However, he had no intention of sitting at the moment and struggled to get out of the Professors gentle inviting grip. Charles let him go immediately, catching him mentally when the boy stumbled a little.

Hank set the jet to autopilot and sat back to watch Pietro stumble, turning one way and another as if checking to make sure it was all real. That this was really the jet and not a trick of the mind. Charles gentle voice made its way into the speedsters jumbled mind, and was heard in the overloaded mess, calling his name softly. The boy spun on the Professor and before anyone had time to react he jumped forward and locked his arms around his neck and sobbed.

All pretenses of staying composed lost now that his freedom was finally realized as being real. Pietro let out the months of dark, depressing, torturous emotion go, and if that meant he was reduced to a sobbing mess in Charles shoulder, then so be it. He was just too tired to care at the moment. Over the initial shock of Pietro throwing himself at the Professor, Charles wrapped his own arms around the shivering boy and his hand clasped around the back of his neck, burying the boys face into his shoulder. Pietro's grip was bordering on painful, possibly tearing his jacket apart at the back by the seams, but it was also expected. Not that Charles minded much as the two stood there, shaking with Pietro's gut wrenching sobs.

What felt like eternities later, Pietro finally calmed enough to pull his face away from the warm, although wet, shoulder in front of him. He relapsed into silence as Charles wiped at the tears still falling down his pale face.

"You are alright Pietro, your alright"

"Are we going home? Am I going home?"

His voice was small and strained. But they ignored it.

"Yes, we are almost there, your father is waiting, rather impatiently I might add. I do believe we are close enough that the extra pull on the jet is most likely caused by him."

Pietro nodded silently and allowed Charles to once again lead him to the copilot chair and sit him in it. The warm hands on his shoulders disappeared for a few moments and were replaced by a soft warm blanket instead. Charles wrapped it around the boy, hoping to end some of his quivering, and looked on as Pietro's shaking hands clenched the fabric and pulled it tighter around himself.

They flew the rest of the way in silence, save the occasion air pocket or whimper from any of the children on board the jet, including Pietro. He looked out the window as they flew and couldn't help but remember his promise he had made to himself, to run and run and run and not stop until his feet bled and leg gave out. He would have to rain check, because now that everything was starting to calm down, he was exhausted to the very soul. He wanted to get to his dad, and sleep for the next couple of decades, after asking Charles to block way the nightmares he was sure to get.

Hank landed the jet as softly as he could, with the help of Erik or course, and helped them unload the children. Pietro came out last, still clutching at the blanket Charles had wrapped around him. Erik's breath caught in his throat at the sight of his son, his condition and everything. He was alive, the metal controller thought, and that was all that mattered.

"Pietro"

The speedster was torn from his thoughts by the firm yet soft voice. He knew it, he recognized, and he swore he was going to start blubbering again as he limp ran down the rest of the way and barreled into his dad. Strong arms wrapped around him, tight but not too much, and he felt little drops pf water falling onto his face, then did he realize that his dad had beat him to it, he was crying.

"Thank God, Thank you"

Was the mantra that Erik repeated over and over as he buried his son in his grip and held on as if should he let go, Pietro would disappear and this would all just be a dream. Pietro was having the same thoughts, as he slowly wrapped his arms around his father, blanket and all, as the arms around him tightened briefly. A choked sob tore from his throat as it hit him and he allowed his father to gently scoop him up and take him up to his room.

He was home, he was free.

* * *

**Second chapter to this to be up tomorrow! Hope you enjoyed it! **

**Its serious ooc, but most of my works are LOL. **


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